Jewlery for your Feet

When the humidity outside reaches 90%, all you want to do is stay indoors enjoying the air conditioning and drinking some lemonade.
Indeed, in weather like this, the first thing I do when I walk through my door is take my shoes off. Though it is a habit that was instilled in me as a child, I still find myself removing my footwear simply to cool myself off and let my feet breathe a little.
During these hot summer months there is nothing like a good pair of flip flops. They are lightweight, allow your your feet to breathe and with the tremendous selection available it is easy to find what suits your needs.
Havianas is a Brazilian-made flip flop known for their comfort, durability and style. Long gone are the days were flip flops were only worn on the beach with a bathing suit. Today, with a flowered decoration, they can be the perfect accessory to a summer dress, for day or evening wear.

Contact LYNN at 052-444-6715 to purchase a pair of foot jewelry - I mean flip flops - and enjoy.

Here and There

While shopping with a client last week, on the search for some basic light weight summer dresses, she insisted we make a stop a a newly opened store to check out what they have.

Poh Ve Sham is located right next door to the Roladin bakery at 35 Maskit Street in Herzliya Pituach, tel.: 09-957-1712. The store owner is a graduate of Shenkar and also studied at FIT and really has a personal eye for fashion. The clothing and accessories range in price and are fun, fashionable and easy to wear. The selection of dresses is enormous. Whether you are looking for a dress that is short or long, with or without sleeves, casual or a little dressier, you are sure not to leave empty-handed.

With great sales in progress, it will really be worth your while.

Ask for Nissim and be sure to mention Individual Style sent you.

SUNSATIONAL

It is that time of year again, when a little notice comes in the mail to remind me that my car needs a checkup. So I book an appointment for early in the morning, in hopes that my car will be returned to me by noon. I jump out of bed at 6:50am throw on some clothing, hop into the car and get it to the garage. Fortunately, the garage is only a 10 minute walk from my home, so instead of taking a taxi back, I opt for walking home.

The time is now 7:15 am and I am strolling through the streets of Raanana and enjoying the relative quiet on the roads. I begin to rub my arms and feel a burning feeling. Wondering what it could be, I look down and see nothing - not a bee, mosquito nor any bug in site. It is hard to believe but it is true, the burning feeling I am having at 7:15 in the morning is coming directly from the sun. Yes, while many of you have not even begun your day, I am already being fried. The sun is so hot and strong that I feel no amount of SPF will block the shining rays.

So it made me wonder:
How should we dress to protect ourselves from the sun and yet not feel too hot?

- Wear loose-fitting clothes that will allow perspiration (a whole other topic) to evaporate freely- muumuu like
- Cover as much of your body as possible
- Colors: the light colors reflect heat away from the body and keep you cool, but darker colors protect you better from UV rays: find a balance
- Wear a hat, one that provides shade to your face (preferably with a 2-3 inch brim)
- Make sure your sunglasses have UV protection
- Always wear sun cream


Yes, you may need to compromise a little on fashion for the next few weeks, but do not worry. With many companies starting fashion friendly /sun smart lines of clothes, it won’t be long before you will be looking SUNsational.

Legs, Legs and More Legs

With all the uncertainty on Wall Street these days, here is one thing you can be sure is on its way up:HEMLINES. They seem to be getting shorter and shorter these days, don't they? Maybe this is because short skirts have less material and therefore cost less (we wish), or maybe the explanation is even more straightforward: Short skirts make us feel good, even happy, and they are a reminder of our youth, when life was simple and carefree.

Yet as many of us hover around the age of forty, we can not help but wonder: Are we too old to wear a mini-skirt? Should we steer away from those shorter hemlines because we don't want to look like we are trying too hard to look young?

Basically, it comes down to this: How old is too old to wear a mini-skirt?

The answer is simple:

Unless you are religiously observant, and refrain from wearing short skirts for reasons of modesty, then you are not too old to wear a mini-skirt, as long as you follow these basic rules: (click on the link)

www.helium.com/items/1119378-mini-skirts-age-women-mature-fashion-style -

If you do decide to reach for that higher hemline, just be sure not to forget to shave, wax or laser and then apply plenty of moisturizer. And then have fun showing off those legs.

Swim Wear That Flatters

It was a great beach day, so I took my boys out of school (they are not missing much anyway), packed up the car and drove to the coast in Herzliya. We carried our stuff and settled down on several lounge chairs underneath umbrellas (I try to stay out of the sun to avoid wrinkles, aging and skin cancer). The beach was perfect, the sky was clear, the sand was white and the water, aside from the many jellyfish, was simply delightful.

After a quick dip in the Mediterranean, I sat myself down to enjoy the view, but I could not help but be distracted by the many - and I mean many - women strutting about in the worst possible choices of swimwear. I am not talking so much about design as about fit and style. When you need to put Vaseline on your limbs to squeeze in to something, or when you are in a bikini and much of your body is flowing over, I find myself gazing at these strangers and thinking: “you have made the wrong choice.”

Then I am always left with a Shakespearean dilemma: to stare or not to stare. Clearly, I should not stare - it is rude, not nice and if the woman sees me staring it will only make her feel great, as she will assume that she looks good, so by staring I am just reinforcing bad behavior.

I am all for great body image and for women feeling good about themselves no matter what size they are. But we all need to be realistic and make choices that are flattering and appropriate.
For tips on how to choose a bathing suit that will flatter, check out www.shine.yahoo.com/event/the-thread/swimsuits-that-flatter-every-body-type-471364/

Underwear, a Private Matter

When my Russian-born grandmother once told me to always make sure to be wearing clean underwear, I assumed she was referring to the possibility of being involved in a potential accident or some other kind of terrible event which would require an emergency responder to see my undergarments.

But after an entirely different kind of incident the other day, all I can say is: wow! - my grandmother really saw the future, and it is a future where I can not help but ask myself: why?

There I was, sitting with a friend and enjoying a cup of coffee at a cafe, when I saw this:

Now, as its name implies, underwear is meant to be worn under. In case that isn't clear, allow me to explain it even more bluntly: the rest of us should not see it. Not in public and especially not while at a cafe sipping a latte.

Even though underwear is a private matter, I still do have a couple of opinions, for you men out there, about it:

1. If you prefer briefs, the tidy whites are the ONLY way to go
2. If you are a boxer kind of man, then go for it: crazy colors, patterns and designs are always fun

But whatever your preference, please do us all a favor and keep them undercover.

And for those handymen and plumbers among you, here is a simple, yet important tip: get yourself some work overalls - that is what they are for!

Mercaz Shuster, Ramat Aviv Gimmel

Most people, shoppers and eaters alike, have heard of the Ramat Aviv Mall, but only a few of you may be familiar with the nearby Shuster Shopping Center. It is located just north of the mall next to the local country club. It has been around forever and is well-known among Israelis, both for its wonderful boutiques and places to eat. Although the center is run-down a bit, it is nonetheless quite charming in a too much sun, humidity and seawater sort of way.

That said, here are several of my favorite shops at the Shuster Center:

1. Emanuel: although this is a chain, this location has the full collection
2. Tootsie: Fine leather goods
3. InStyle: Great T-shirts
4. Ada 2:
5. Fit In:
6. Liat: funky and edgy
7. Fanoman:
8. Emanuel:

Many of the stores shout "kitsch", but if you take your time you will find many great pieces, including T-shirts, dresses, tunics, bathing suits and exercise clothes.

While you are at it, you can also enjoy some of the Center's nice cafés, all of which have indoor and outdoor seating. In addition, there is a branch of my favorite pizzeria in Israel: Pizzafino (the other location is on Ben Yehuda street in Tel Aviv). And in the center of it all is a nice, large water fountain (though it could definitely use a good renovation).

So next time you are in the area, I suggest that you stop by the Shuster Shopping Center. While some of the stores may be pricey, it is always fun to look, even if you do not buy. And best of all, you can grab a slice, sit under an umbrella and gaze at the fountain, before returning to reality.